Soil microbiomes and their potential for enhancing soil stability and carbon sequestration

Soil microbiomes, composed of diverse microbial communities such as bacteria, fungi, and archaea, play a crucial role in enhancing soil stability and carbon sequestration. These microbes influence soil structure by producing extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), forming biofilms, and promoting soil aggregation. Their metabolic activities also regulate organic matter decomposition, stabilization, and carbon fluxes. Interactions between microbes and plant roots in the rhizosphere, along with microbial carbon fixation pathways, significantly contribute to long-term carbon storage. Recent biotechnological advances, including genetically engineered microbes, synthetic microbial consortia, and CRISPR-based gene editing, offer new strategies to enhance these soil functions. Case studies across agricultural ecosystems, restoration projects, bioremediation, and urban landscaping demonstrate practical applications of soil microbiomes in promoting environmental sustainability. However, challenges such as ecological risks, technical limitations, policy gaps, and socio-economic barriers remain. Future research must address these challenges and develop standardized tools, safe applications, and interdisciplinary collaborations to fully realize the potential of soil microbiomes in sustainable land and climate management.